| Unit name | Group Applied Project or Individual Dissertation |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MGRCM0059 |
| Credit points | 60 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
| Unit director | Dr. Sotiris Lalaounis |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | University of Bristol Business School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences |
Why is this unit important?
This unit aims to build on the core Interdisciplinary Research and Practice unit in TB2 and engages you in an extended applied project / research project based on the group proposal completed in TB2. The unit allows each group of students to engage in an independent investigation of an applied project. Alternatively, you can work individually on a selected research topic (individual dissertation). Both options will enable you to acquire in-depth knowledge, learn how to synthesise academic literature and industry-related resources to develop a solution to an organisational/societal problem or identify a research gap which warrants further empirical research.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit will help you to broaden and deepen your understanding of an organisational/societal problem or a research topic in design management. The unit makes it possible to develop skills on how to investigate problem to develop an optimum solution or to identify a research-worthy gap in the academic literature and industry-related resources. You will learn business, design, and engineering theories and concepts can be applied to solve real-life organisational or societal problems. The unit will equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills required to practice ethical investigation and draw conclusions from it. Also, the unit will help you learn how to manage mainly independent projects, develop self-discipline by meeting important deadlines, and produce applied research work that can have practical implications or a meaningful impact on current debates in academic literature and in the field of design management.
An overview of content
Each group (for the group applied project) / you (for the individual dissertation) will have the opportunity to communicate with your group supervisors, who will be experts in the chosen topic and methods. The group applied project / individual dissertation will be supervised by Business School academic staff with extra support (consulting) provided by staff from the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the School of Arts at three specific time intervals. You will develop a review of literature relevant to the organisational or societal phenomenon under investigation or the research topic reflecting your synthesis and critical analysis of the relevant industry reports and academic literature. This will result to the formulation of an organisational or societal problem which requires solution or to the formulation of a research gap which you will build upon to propose research questions for further investigation. Furthermore, you will learn and practice data collection in accordance with ethical guidelines. They will analyse the collected data to draw meaningful conclusions and contribute to the advancement of knowledge and practice.
How will students, personally, be different as results of the unit
Through this unit you gain experience in collaborative or individual learning and inquiry through application, research, and interpretation, developing research skills like critical thinking, information management, data collection and analysis, and an understanding of important issues relating to research ethics and GDPR alongside the development of other important transferrable skills in teamwork and time management.
Learning outcomes
Upon completing this unit, students will be able to:
ILO1 – Identify a clear, organisational societal problem or central research question within the project topic chosen.
ILO2 – Identify and critically review literature relevant to the applied project or dissertation topic.
ILO3 – Apply chosen research methodology to investigate the applied project or dissertation topic.
ILO4 – Analyse data and/or evidence and report findings where appropriate; develop insights or responses to the applied project or dissertation topic.
ILO5 – Write a project report or dissertation which is clear, compelling, and well-written, and conforms to the industry and/or academic conventions.
ILO6 – Integrate conclusions into wider industry, societal, and/or academic debates.
The principal method of teaching is through supervision carried out on a group or individual basis. When appropriate, you will be able to participate in teaching workshops that are designed to support you with your interdisciplinary research projects organised by the Business School at the start of TB3. Each project or dissertation will be supervised by a dedicated Business School academic and supported by academic staff from an appropriate School.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
You will receive feedback and tuition from Business School academic staff, with extra support (consulting) provided by staff from the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the School of Arts.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
To successfully complete this unit, you are required to submit an applied project group report (15,000 words) or individual dissertation (12,000 words), which constitutes 100% of the total mark. This applied project report or individual dissertation entails the group or individual work predominantly focused on the chosen topic. You must formulate clear project objectives or research questions relevant to the selected topic (ILO1). It is imperative that these project objectives or research questions are formulated in alignment with the identified organisational/societal problem or research gap, which will be justified through a comprehensive literature review synthesising both academic and industry-related sources (ILOs 1 and 2).
Furthermore, you are expected to actively engage in the data collection process, selecting appropriate methods and adhering to ethical guidelines (ILO 3). They must then interpret the results of data analysis, which will be evaluated in the discussion section within the context of prior literature (ILO 4). Additionally, you should draw conclusions regarding the practical and/or theoretical contributions of your findings and propose future research avenues (ILO 6).
The final applied project report or dissertation should exhibit a clear and structured format, encompassing sections such as introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion. The resultant applied project report or dissertation needs to be well-written, demonstrating clarity, coherence, and academic rigor (ILO 5), successfully managing your time and deadlines (ILO 7).
When assessment does not go to plan
When a student fails the unit and is eligible to resubmit, failed components will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis. You will be required to work on a condensed resubmission of your applied project report (if your initial attempt was a group applied project) (word count: 1 / [no. of students in the group] x 12,000 words), or rework your dissertation (if you had taken an individual dissertation) (12,000 words) (100%) [ILOs 1-7].
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MGRCM0059).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
